Doubts and Encouragement
by EverythingHHH
Summary: The recent low ratings of Raw and WWE in general has ticked Paul off and when he finally gets fed up, emotions run high. When Paul doubts himself, Stephanie steps in and takes matters into her own hands. (Triple H/Stephanie McMahon)


**A/N:** This is just something I thought of as the ratings and ticket sales have been extremely low. I could just imagine Triple H's frustration with it all in real life and so I wanted to make a story out of it. Some of it is my opinion. I hope you all like it.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anyone. Vince McMahon owns everything.

* * *

"I can't believe this shit." Paul muttered silently as he rubbed at the skin between his eyes. He was currently sitting in gorilla position, producing Monday Night Raw with his father in law, Vince McMahon. He had been watching the show on the couple of small screens in front of him for about an hour now. Right now, it was Cruiserweight action and Alicia Fox was causing drama between Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander. He honestly couldn't believe what he was watching; this was his hard work being kicked into the gutter.

"Are you alright, Paul?"

Paul looked over at the aging man next to him. Vince was so old now and obviously couldn't run the business anymore. He looked like a skeleton of his past self.

"I guess, why do you ask?" Paul questioned in monotone voice, clearly infuriated at the product or garbage that was being put on television.

"You look tired. Maybe you should skip your midnight workout and get rest tonight." Vince said before he turned back to the monitor.

Paul was about to say something he would regret until the bell rung that indicated the match ended. After the drama bullshit, Dar and Alexander had a match. He looked on at the monitor as he took a drink of his water from Starbucks to cool himself off.

It was now the Bayley "This is Your Life" segment and Paul thought back to when these young girls were in NXT just killing it. Now that Vince has his hold on them, they aren't near as hot as they were in NXT. That was his show and it was no wonder that NXT was doing better than Raw and Smackdown Live. There was nothing but wrestling and backstage segments here and there. That's how it was supposed to be and the old man was so out of touch that he ignored that fact. So, because of that, the ratings for both shows have been sinking rapidly and rightfully so. The fans pay their hard-earned money to watch some excellent product, whether it be the WWE Network or tickets to the live shows.

Alexa Bliss was now talking to the guy in the ring. He was Bayley's "ex-boyfriend" and when him and the other girl started kissing, he sighed loudly, which caught Vince's attention.

"There's something wrong, obviously."

That was it. Paul removed his headset and stood up from his seat and walked to the other side of Vince, who was watching him closely. Everyone in gorilla was watching Paul as he rubbed at his shaved head in irritation.

"Paul? What the hell is wrong with you?" Vince asked, concerned.

Paul quickly turned around and stared hard at the man he has always looked up to. "What the hell is wrong with _me_?!" He near shouted.

"Yes." Vince said casually.

His tone pissed him off even more. It's like he doesn't even realize how bad the shows are or he does and he just doesn't even care. The latter would blow his top off. "Look at this, Vince!" He shouted as he pointed towards Vince's monitor. "What is this?! Nobody wants to see this stupid shit!"

Vince cut him off. "You don't want to see your own talent out there that you created?"

That was as smartass as he could get and Paul laughed in disbelief. "Vince, come on. Who the hell wants to see Alexa, who has so much talent and could shine, point out false toys laid out on a damn table? Who the hell wants to see two strangers make out in the ring?! This isn't wrestling! This is a fucking joke!"

"I suggest you relax right now." Vince said as he motioned his hands in a motion that was to calm him down.

"No, Vince! I am not going to relax! All of the hard work I put on every damn one of these stars is going into the garbage. Not only my hard work but their fucking careers! Do you not care, Vince?! Do you not care about my four hours of sleep in near a week to work for NXT and the job that you gave me?!"

Vince sighed and rested back in his leather office chair. "I do notice your hard work, Paul and…."

"I'm not asking if you notice my hard work! Hell, anybody would notice it by my blood shot eyes and cups of coffee and constantly facetiming my girls." After stating the first part of his argument, he took a deep breath. "I'm asking if you could use my talent right. I deserve it and most importantly, they deserve it." He said calmer than before. The irritation, tiredness, and desperateness was evident in his eyes.

Vince sighed once more before he stood up. He looked over at the producers and others who were staring. Obviously, everyone was shocked at Paul's sudden outburst because he was always so quiet. "There's nothing to see here guys. Get back to work, please." He said professionally as he nodded his head. Once they turned their attention away from Paul and Vince, he walked up to his son in law who was breathing heavily still from his claims.

He looked him in the eyes as he adjusted his suit before he spoke. "Look, Paul, in NXT they are NXT superstars; you own NXT. But when they move up, they are WWE superstars, main roster superstars; I own the main roster. Therefore, when they are on the main roster, I own them, not you." He explained almost coldly as Paul's nostrils flared in anger.

Paul slowly shook his head in disbelief at Vince. "I can't believe you right now."

"Oh yeah? Well, I want you to leave and not come back until next week. Me and others can do it without for the time being. Believe that." Vince smirked at him before he turned to walk back to his and Paul's production area.

"Believe that, huh? Is that from your golden boy Roman Reigns?" He should really stop speaking and just leave but he was so damn angry and in major disbelief at his father in law.

As Vince was sitting down, he looked up at the younger man and said sternly, "Get out now, Paul. Get your stuff and go home. I'm not going to make a scene because you're acting pathetic." With that, he turned his attention to the monitor and pushed Paul into the back of his mind.

The WWE COO just stood there staring daggers at Vince and shaking in anger with his hands curled into tight fists. He huffed and rushed over next to Vince and gathered his things, his water, gum, notes, phone, and bag. Once he shoved everything into his bag, he looked over at Vince who was paying him no attention. Suddenly, Alexa Bliss walked through the curtain and they immediately locked eyes. Frustration and embarrassment radiated from both sets of eyes. She gave him a look like he should do something but…..he couldn't. She looked away as she walked through the other curtain and into the backstage area. Paul felt like someone punched him in the heart because she deserves so much better; they all do.

He flung the bag over his shoulder and walked out of there without a glance from Vince. He walked through the backstage area in hopes that he didn't run into Steph. He just wanted to get on the jet and go home without having to explain what happened. He thought too soon. There she was rounding the corner, holding papers that she examined closely. But when she heard his footsteps coming up to her, she looked up. She smiled brightly at him but it faltered a bit when she eyed his bag.

"Hey, where are you going?" She asked simply.

Paul sighed and fought the tears that threatened to fall when he heard his wife's sweet voice. There was something about hearing a certain persons voice that brings you to tears when you're sad or depressed. "I…I don't feel good, so I'm going home and taking tomorrow off as well." He explained; he just wanted to get out of there.

She looked at him with concern in her blue eyes. "Okay, well be careful and call me when you get home." She knew he was lying because he looked so defeated. But, she didn't want to probe him for answers.

"I will, I love you." He said as he walked closer to her and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too." She replied before they broke apart and went their separate ways.

He walked out of the arena and into the cold night. He spotted the jet where they landed it when they arrived earlier today. The pilot was already there with the door open for him. He walked the small flight of stairs and was encased with warm air. The door to the jet shut behind him and he plopped down into one of the seats. He set his bag down on the seat across from him and relaxed. At least he tried to relax.

A few hours later, the jet landed and he was home in Connecticut. As he grabbed his bag, he immediately thought of his three little girls and how they would be excited to see him, if they were still up. Their bed time was at 9pm since it was a school night and it was 9 right now. He just wanted to hug and kiss them. They were like his good mood pill at times; Steph was as well.

He hailed a taxi cab and he was on his way.

* * *

The yellow taxi pulled up in front of his huge house or mansion and he grabbed his bag before he paid his fare. He stepped out, shut the door behind him and the taxi pulled away into the night. It was quiet and there were barely any lights on so they were probably all in bed. He hoped the babysitter was still awake so he can dismiss her.

He trudged up the staircase to his front door and unlocked the door. He stepped inside his beautiful home and closed the door to keep the heat inside. He spotted the babysitter sitting in the dining room doing homework. She was so focused as always.

His dress shoes padded quietly on the soft carpet as he advanced his way to her. Once he was in sight, she looked up and jumped. "Oh my god, Mr. Levesque, you scared me." She laughed as she held her chest.

Paul put on a fake smile. "Sorry about that. Since I'm home you can go home. Don't worry, I'll pay you your full amount anyway."

She just smiled as she closed her book.

"Are the girls upstairs sleeping?" He asked as he removed his tie.

"Yes, they are." She said as she grabbed her coat and put it on before she gathered her school materials. "Bye, Mr. Levesque." She said with a smile as she left.

Once she was out the front door, Paul walked to the stairs that led to the second floor and made his way to his daughters' bedrooms. It was so dark in the hallway but the moonlight coming from each of their rooms helped him make his way without stubbing his toe on anything. He first stopped by Aurora's room whose was closest and he peeked inside by gently pushing the door open a little. She was sound asleep in her bed just like he had imagined.

He checked on all three of them and now he was sitting at the edge of his bed in the dark. He was thinking of what happened earlier tonight and it all bothered him. It honestly felt like it effected his entire life to come.

He called Steph to let her know that he was home and now he was stripped down into a t shirt and boxers to get into bed and sleep. He pulled the covers up over his body and succumbed into the comfort of their bed. Before long and surprisingly, he fell asleep.

* * *

Paul's eyes slowly cracked open and he was faced with the darkness of the room. As he woke up more, he noticed a heaviness on the other side of the bed. He looked over and saw Stephanie sleeping next to him. He looked over at the digital click and the red numbers shown "2:37". He was surprised that she was here because she usually gets a hotel room for the night and flies home the next morning.

All of a sudden, the events from last night ran through his mind again. He sighed and carefully removed the sheets from him so he didn't wake up Steph. He got out of bed and exited the room quietly. He didn't know what the hell he was doing as he made his way to the kitchen. It was so quiet and dark which made it peaceful. He flipped on a light in the kitchen and he let his eyes adjust. He deftly walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and took a large drink as his mouth was dry.

When he set the bottle down onto the counter, he rested against the corner of the counter and folded his arms across his broad chest. He just stared off at the knick knacks that were assorted on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Vince's words ran through his mind. _When they are on the main roster, I own them._ Paul felt his nerves get unsettled again. He did own them and he was ruining their careers and all his hard work. And all he could do was stand back and watch it happen. He had no control over them.

"Fuck." Paul sighed as he rubbed at his forehead.

If he was to try and challenge Vince, he would lose his job, no doubt about it. If he lost his job, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He would lose a job that he loved doing, well, used to love doing. That was until Vince started to not give a shit. Paul could not go on every week and watch everything crumble before his very eyes. He couldn't give up though because his family depended on him. His family as in his parents, sister, and others on his side of the family.

Maybe he just wasn't meant to do this. He couldn't be the next Vince no matter how hard he tried because the true Vince always fucked him over. He had always dreamed of running the company and that dream is what made him get up every morning or at least, when he slept.

A tear ran down his bearded cheek as he felt his heart thump hard in his chest. It was all because of his sadness and defeat that he felt inside.

Stephanie woke from her short slumber and looked over too see that Paul wasn't next to her. She yawned and got out of bed to go search for her husband. She came home earlier tonight because she was a little worried about Paul. He looked so down when they saw each other at the arena last night. HE was never like that; he was always bright and happy when he was working.

She made her way through the dark hallway and staircase and was relieved that the light was on in the kitchen. She had light to see where she was going and she knew where Paul was. When she rounded the corner, she spotted Paul leaning against the counter with his arms folded as he stared down in a daze.

"Paul?" She whispered, obviously tired. Her eyes were taking their time to adjust as she walked over to him. He slowly lifted his head to look at her and she can tell that he forced his smile. She saw the sadness in his eyes and there was a wet streak that shined on his cheek. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked as she looked him in the eyes.

He just shook his head and wiped at his face. "Nothing. I'm just thinking." He mentally kicked himself for saying that last part because now it was obvious that something was wrong.

"Thinking about what? Does this have to do with how you were at the arena last night?" Steph asked in a soft voice that could only soften a man's hard attitude.

Paul just sighed and unfolded his arms to rest his hands behind him on the cold counter. He looked down at his bare feet not wanting to explain to his wife of his failures.

"Baby, talk to me." She near whispered as she reached for his hand. She held it in her hands and that's when he looked up at her. "Something is bothering you, it's obvious."

He gazed into her sparkling blue eyes and felt choked up again. "It's hard, Steph. Everything is." He said, lowly.

She felt confused. "What is?"

He sighed loudly and took his hand out of her grasp. "Working for your father." He knew that her and Vince were incredibly close so he knew that she wouldn't understand. He was all alone on this.

She furrowed her brows at him. "My father? What happened?" She thought everything was going well because everything has been well since her dad gave Paul his job years ago. Of course, they would have their disagreements but they never ended with Paul acting like this.

Every single thing was coming back to him and he felt his blood boil. "Yes, your father. I work too hard for this business."

"What do you mean you work too hard?"

"I just do, Steph! Everything that I work hard on gets stomped on by Vince! My endless hours and my talent!" He yelled as he breathed heavily.

"Paul, lower your voice. The girls are asleep." She said sternly with a serious look. "Now, why do you feel that way?"

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He completely forgot about his little angels upstairs and he would feel bad if they woke up. "Did you see the show tonight at all? Hell, the shows for the past couple of months?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes at her.

She just shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, of course I did."

"Did you see that bullshit segment with Alexa Bliss?"

She nodded her head at his question.

"It really pissed me off. It pissed me off to the point where I got onto your dad….."

"What happened?" She asked, for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"I told him that it all stupid and that everything lately has been stupid. It fucking hurts, Steph." His voice almost sounded raw at the last part.

Stephanie listened to him as he talked and noticed his toughness falter within a blink of an eye. He seemed…..defeated. "Why does it hurt? Is it because they all came from NXT and they aren't being treated the same?" She asked softly as she searched his face.

 _She did understand._

"Yes, it's frustrating, Steph. I work so hard, day and night and Vince couldn't care less." His vision started to slowly get bleary and he silently cursed himself. He didn't want to cry and seem weak. But it was so hard when the business he loves gets treated like a joke, especially since he spends every waking hour to build every wrestler into larger than life superstars.

"Now you know that's not true, Paul. He cares about your hard work. He says all the time that he's proud of you." She said, trying to make him feel better. She honestly couldn't believe that he thought that her father didn't care about him.

"I know he does but why doesn't he try harder with all the wrestlers I bring from NXT? It's not just my hard work but their careers. I feel like I failed them." A couple of tears ran down his cheeks with the thought of his NXT kids hating him for not stepping up to Vince and fixing things.

She walked even closer to him and lifted her hands to his cheeks to gently wipe his tears away. She looked into his eyes and saw so much sadness and stress in them. His once bright hazel eyes that were full of life were now almost red and just….tired. "Baby, you didn't fail them and you never will. Look at the opportunity that you gave them. You brought them into WWE and now they're living their dream. If it wasn't for you, honey, they wouldn't be here. You're called their Papa for god sakes." She explained to him as she felt his tears soaking her hands.

He looked down and then looked back up in her grasp. "It just hurts to watch them go through stupid shit like that. It makes me feel like a joke and I just wonder to myself, is this meant for me? Vince has all of the control, Steph."

Her hands were now rubbing his shoulders to comfort him a little but his question completely caught her off guard. "What do you mean, "if you're meant for this"? Did you hear anything I just told you? Paul, look at everything you have done for WWE in the past three or four years. Damn near every star we have is from your product, NXT. Ever since I laid eyes on you back in 1999, you were giving this business everything you had and you still do. That's what I love about you. You work hard and ignore everyone else's irrelevant opinions about you, especially on the fact that you married me. You are destined to take this business after Vince and take it to new heights that it has never been before. Don't you ever think that this wasn't meant for you. This is your life; don't give up just because times are tough right now. I will be right beside you every step of the way, even if the problem is my father. We can both talk to him together and get something figured out. Everything will be okay, baby."

Paul felt the tears flow from his eyes again at his wife's encouraging words. "I love you." He whispered. He just fell in love with her all over again.

She felt her heart skip a beat at his statement. "I love you too." With that, she placed her hands on his cheeks once again before she leaned in and kissed his lips that were trembling a little earlier.

He moaned slightly from her kiss and looked her in her eyes when she broke it.

She wiped his tears away with her thumbs as she kissed his lips softly once more. She could taste his tears in the kiss.

He wrapped his arms around her as he felt her wiping his drying tears during the sweet kiss. He opened his mouth so she can push her tongue through. They kissed each other hungrily before he lifted her up and carried her up the stairs. She tackled his neck and face with sweet kisses while she rubbed his broad back. When they got to the bedroom, he quietly kicked the door open and laid her on the bed. He walked over and closed the door and locked it before he made it back over to his wife who was lying there, gazing at him through the lust and love in her eyes. He lied on top of her and claimed her lips in a kiss.

She moaned into her husband's kiss. They were always so sweet. She cupped his cheeks and then ran her hands to the back of his shaved head and then down his back. He started kissing her neck and she sighed comfortably. His hot mouth felt so good. He moved to her jaw and that's when she moved her hands to the hem of his shirt to get rid of it so their skin could be touching.

Feeling her hands lifting his shirt, Paul lifted himself up and removed the shirt himself. He groaned as he felt Steph's soft hands explore his torso. He threw the shirt somewhere in the room before Stephanie sat up to be level with him. They looked deep into each other's eyes before Stephanie spoke quietly. "I wanna make love to you." And she really did. She wanted to make all his stress and sadness melt away with her touches and kisses.

He didn't say anything as he just let her take control. He watched as she removed her shirt and threw it in the same direction as he did his. Her hands went back and she undid her bra. He heard the faint 'click' of it over his now racing heartbeat. Her breasts were now exposed and he felt movement in the front of his sweats. His clammy hands came up to rest on them before he gave them a gentle squeeze.

She sighed and grabbed his hands to give each of them a kiss before she gently pushed him back against the white pillows as she still had a hold of his large hands. She teasingly ran her hands up and down her naked torso before she rested them on her hips to take off her shorts. He was watching her the entire time and she noticed the tent he was pitching. His eyes were dark and she felt herself get all warm and fuzzy. She was now completely naked and now she was removing Paul's sweats.

She moved on top of him and they kissed each other hungrily. When they broke the kiss, a thin line of saliva attached to both sets of their lips. She straddled his hips and slowly sunk down onto him. "Oh, Paul." She moaned with her head slightly tilted just feeling him fill her completely. Once she felt herself get adjusted to him, she started moving up and down and that caused him to groan deep in his throat.

His wife was damn beautiful as she made love to him. Her chestnut hair was flowing down her shoulders and back as she had her head tilted back to let out quiet moans. Her warm hands were gently pressing against his abdomen. Her nipples were rock hard from the heat of the moment and so he trailed his hands from his thighs to her breasts. He pinched her nipples and that made her moan loudly. As he massaged them, she came to rest her hands on top of his as his hands went in a circular motion.

Her husband's rough, yet gentle hands felt incredible on her naked body. It was like he was worshipping her the whole time. She couldn't help it when she lifted her hands up to rest them on his. She succumbed to his touch as she thought about him. His chocolate brown eyes, his smile, and…...just him.

* * *

The moonlight shone brightly in their bedroom, illuminating it in a dark blue hue. It was now silent after an hour or so of Paul and Stephanie making love. Earlier, all that could be heard was moans, heavy breathing, rustling, and whispered words of love and appreciation. Now, all that could be heard was their quiet breaths and a cricket outside. Paul was holding her in his arms as she slept peacefully. He was just looking down at her through tired eyes and felt a rush of love for her. He gently kissed her forehead and nuzzled his bearded cheek against it, cuddling closer to her.

He loved her even more after everything that happened tonight. He was at his lowest and she lifted him up like a life support. He was questioning his entire life and she slapped him into reality with her encouraging words. He couldn't imagine his life without WWE; it's his life. If he didn't have his beautiful wife and kids, he'd be as good as dead. At least that's what he thought.

He was the King of Kings, the Cerebral Assassin, the Game and she wasn't afraid to get into his face and tell him what she thinks. That was just what he needed; not only was she his life support but she was his rock as well. It was honestly like that beach scene out of Rocky where Rocky was in his situation in a way and Adrian woke him up with the truth. It was almost like they were the real life Rocky and Adrian Balboa.

It wasn't just the talk they had but the love making as well. Paul doesn't keep score but that was the best love making they've ever had. It wasn't rough and animalistic; it was slow and romantic. They both wanted to show how much they loved each other with their kisses and touches and whispered love.

When he returns to work next week, he is going to try to put his foot down the proper way. Vince was a stubborn son of a bitch but when it came to Paul, he was very humble and down to business. Paul just had to stay calm and act professional unlike last night. He's got the strongest woman in the world by his side so he felt confident that things could get better soon.

Stephanie shifted a bit in his arms and that brought him back down to earth from his thoughts. He could feel her heart beat against his chest and he moaned quietly. He was so comfortable right now that he felt his eyes start to feel heavy. He tightened his arms around her and finally shut his eyes after a long eventful night. Moments later, he fell asleep with Stephanie wrapped up in his strong arms.

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading. Reviews are very much appreciated.


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